A whole range of instruments developed with the help of German industry are deployed - training measures, advisory services, financing and investment - in order to support the development of trade and private enterprise in our partner countries. This type of government-sponsored program can have great multiplier effects which in turn are also of benefit to German industry. Development cooperation thus contributes to a high degree to strengthening Germany’s economic standing and securing jobs in Germany. Although the projects are selected and designed according to developmental criteria and the principle of untied aid is applied, thanks to the competitiveness of German industry an overwhelming proportion of the official funds deployed bilaterally and multilaterally flow back to German industry in the form of contracts.

The focal areas poverty alleviation, environmental and resource protection as well as the goal of equal opportunities for women and men are all significant cross-sectoral tasks. That means that in all concepts and measures under German development cooperation, the impact on poverty, the environment and women in the country in question must be investigated.Economic Cooperation and Development as well as country concepts. Germany’s development cooperation focuses on three priority areas: poverty alleviation, environmental and resource protection, and education and training.